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Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furinture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More!
Oh baby! With the average newborn racking up $6000 for the first year alone, expectant moms and dads need all the creative cost-cutting ideas they can find. Baby Bargains is the answer. Inside, parents find detailed ratings and reviews of baby gear, plus handy charts that compare brands and models.
Paperback, 600 pages
Published
April 25th 2007
by Windsor Peak Press
(first published 1997)
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We've found this book very helpful. But -- even more helpful?
-- thrift stores (don't be afraid!)
-- hand-me-downs (soooo fantastic)
-- cloth diapers (prefolds + covers work great, are EASY, and save thousands)
-- homemade baby food (chop, steam, puree, freeze. It's really that easy.)
-- Craigslist (baby items obsolesce so fast. There's a glut of high-quality used stuff on Craigslist. People generally are forced to sell at less than 50% of what they paid new, even if the item is highly desirable and...more
-- thrift stores (don't be afraid!)
-- hand-me-downs (soooo fantastic)
-- cloth diapers (prefolds + covers work great, are EASY, and save thousands)
-- homemade baby food (chop, steam, puree, freeze. It's really that easy.)
-- Craigslist (baby items obsolesce so fast. There's a glut of high-quality used stuff on Craigslist. People generally are forced to sell at less than 50% of what they paid new, even if the item is highly desirable and...more
This is a truly *awesome* book for parents-to-be and parents. The newest edition (11th) just came out this year, 2011. In figuring out what baby products my husband and I needed for our very-soon-to-be-born daughter, I read both this book and a Consumer Reports website guide (I subscribed to the site for one month, for about $8). This book is far, far better than the Consumer Reports guide, because it provides grades (A through F) of many, many different products, not just the big-ticket items l...more
So this book says it will save you hundreds of dollars, and I honestly don't know if it did/will do that because I didn't try doing this without the book. What I do know is that it gave me a lot of peace of mind, since I was able to narrow down the literally thousands of baby products out there to what I actually need and what I actually want. That peace of mind is worth way more than a few hundred bucks! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is expecting, and in fact I have.
If there is one book that every expectant parent needs to have, it's this one. I've used it numerous times throughout my pregnancy, and it has made many of our decisions in terms of purchases MUCH easier. I bought both this book and Consumer Reports Baby, and ended up taking Consumer Reports back--it didn't offer nearly as much information as Baby Bargains.
The book is broken down into chapters according to baby's needs (cribs, dressers, gear, clothing, etc.). Each chapter begins by suggesting wh...more
The book is broken down into chapters according to baby's needs (cribs, dressers, gear, clothing, etc.). Each chapter begins by suggesting wh...more
This is a must have book for any new parent who has no idea how to navigate the baby gear market. The authors don't only present the best ways to get bargains on baby gear (in fact, this wasn't nearly the most prominent or useful part of the book), but they present reviews and information on major brands and models of key equipment for babies so you can make informed decisions as to safety, ease of use, relative cost, comfort, aesthetics, etc. for cribs, strollers, car seats, swings, bouncers, h...more
Most comprehensive guide to baby equipment I have yet to find. My husband and I are expecting our first child, and this guide has been immensely helpful in giving us an idea of what we need to buy to prepare for our child.
The book gives brand reviews, which are a bit subjective but helpful in comparing features I would never have thought to consider. The best part, though, are the tips on what you need to buy - everything from the big stuff (cribs, car seats, etc) to little stuff (safety gates,...more
The book gives brand reviews, which are a bit subjective but helpful in comparing features I would never have thought to consider. The best part, though, are the tips on what you need to buy - everything from the big stuff (cribs, car seats, etc) to little stuff (safety gates,...more
Apr 03, 2013
Carissa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
baby-books,
child-care
This book was recommended to me by a friend who had had her baby a year before ours. It was INCREDIBLY helpful when we were expecting and even afterward. It provided information on brand products and suggested getting some items from craigslist because it wasn't worth it to pay full price for a new one. Having the A through F ratings is great when your mom calls saying she has found a stroller at a consignment shop and asks whether or not to buy it before the next person that comes in snags it (...more
Here's my short and concise review of this book. REPETITIVE! There is a TON of useful info in here. It's just too bad that it is really buried. So much is repeated over and over and over and over (you get my point). Constant referals to their website and the CPSC.
My friend who recommended the book asked me how I was liking it (because she said it was her FAVORITE baby item, a MUST-HAVE). I replied that I could hardly get through it. Turns out she didn't read it, simply thumbed through to the pag...more
My friend who recommended the book asked me how I was liking it (because she said it was her FAVORITE baby item, a MUST-HAVE). I replied that I could hardly get through it. Turns out she didn't read it, simply thumbed through to the pag...more
Once I properly sat down with this book an read through their reviews and then subsequent recommendations, it all made sense. And here's the deal, if you're coming to this thinking you'll automatically eliminate half the bill you expected to spend, stop and readjust. I got the perspective all wrong at first. Babies cost money. Their attendant gear costs money. And with most important purchases in life, you have to consider whether what your buying as a bargain (i.e. quality investment for the mo...more
I like to be as informed as possible before making purchasing decisions, so I love books like these and Baby Bargains is one of the best. This edition was published in 2007 and the newest edition (the 8th) isn't scheduled to be released until two weeks before my due date, so I feel like I'm not getting the most up-to-date information. I'm not a first time parent, so I have some idea of what some of my "must-haves" are and what I don't really need and the authors and I don't always see eye-to-eye...more
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I LOVED this book and highly recommend it to anyone navigating the bewildering landscape of baby products. This is a very down-to-earth guide to what you really need for a baby, and offers strong condemnations of the useless crap that is about 90% of the baby market. The product reviews come from not only the authors, but from thousands of reader comments (on their website), and have all been spot on so far. This book will help you make sense of the madness. The only thing I've disagreed with so...more
My husband and I are just preparing to be new parents (due in July!) and are navigating the crazy waters of baby paraphernalia for the first time. It is unbelievably complicated with opinions about the “best” and “worst” thrown about often in contradictory patterns by friends, family and experts. And the dreaded “safety issues” which are both scary and conflicting!
Since my husband is incredibly thrifty, this was one of the first baby books he borrowed from the library. I read it straight through...more
Since my husband is incredibly thrifty, this was one of the first baby books he borrowed from the library. I read it straight through...more
I'm a soon-to-be-first-time-mom, and every time I think about the arrival of our daughter, my mind starts racing- I need a crib. I need a stroller, a carseat, diapers, clothing...What do I know about any of these things? Absolutely nothing. How will I know what to buy? What's good? What's necessary? Phew!
Luckily, I heard about the Baby Bargain book.
The Baby Bargain book is a great buy and not necessarily because I'll be saving the 20%-50% advertised on the cover. I love that this book goes int...more
Luckily, I heard about the Baby Bargain book.
The Baby Bargain book is a great buy and not necessarily because I'll be saving the 20%-50% advertised on the cover. I love that this book goes int...more
This book was OUTSTANDING. Honestly, it is something I would have never picked up due to its name alone, and only was introduced to by having it forced on me by my pregnant friend Rachel. This book SHOULD be named "Everything You Need to Know About Registering and Baby Products." I probably read most parts of this book at least three times. I found their advice in regards to product reviews, suggestions, and experience (including honest views of things you DON'T need) INVALUABLE, and 100% suppor...more
Oct 25, 2010
Kimberly
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents-to-be
Recommended to Kimberly by:
Friends
This book is a great resource for anyone having a baby. As a first time mother, I was afraid that the process of buying all the items I needed for my baby would send me running. Instead I felt prepared and informed. Baby Bargains provides a great starting point for researching what items you need, and what are just a waste of money. It also serves as an invaluable resource in narrowing down which brands are the best in each category. Any person who has read this book will be equipped with enough...more
This really wasn't helpful at all to me. It might be helpful to people who don't typically do any research at all before big purchases, and instead just go straight to a store and pick up whatever seems to suit their needs, regardless of price. I was hoping it'd help me sort through the multitude of options when it comes to baby gear (especially cribs and strollers and car seats) but instead only muddied the waters further. The authors definitely have a more Midwest point of view; West Coasters...more
This had some helpful links and discussions. Some of it was a little out of touch with my reality (The book didn't save me hundreds of dollars on crib bedding. It would never occur to me to spend hundreds of dollars on crib bedding.), and some of the things they listed as necessary I felt were unnecessary. I found that most of the big-ticket recommendations were pretty much on-par with the Amazon ratings, so the book itself, while reassuring to have confirmation, didn't provide much information...more
This book helped me winnow the baby stuff that was out there from stuff we truly needed to what is just fluff and I do believe we saved a lot of $ (they have a $ back guarantee). So it was helpful in that regard. I sometimes disagreed with their view on a product. For example the crib we bought from Pottery Barn is very good quality and they dogged it for having a particle board mattress base instead of springs. What they didn't mention is that underneath that particle board was furniture grade...more
This book was helpful, but not quite as bargain oriented as I was expecting (especially after reading Bridal Bargains years ago). Even products you don't typically hear seasoned moms recommending (like diaper pals) were advocated for in this book. They championed the Britax car seat, and the Bugaboo strollers -- some of the most expensive brands out there -- but, good to know! Most sections are skim worthy. I found the stroller/carseat section particularly valuable though. A lot of it is good ol...more
Sep 03, 2011
Dolly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents who want to buy the best items for their little one, without wasting money
I loved, loved, loved this book - it was such a helpful guide for weeding out the chaff and really finding the most important items (and best quality) for our babies. We found this after our oldest was born, but we used it a ton throughout the first years of our girls' lives and still refer to their message boards for things like booster seats and what-not. I truly believe that it helped us avoid wasting our money. I love that it really pushes common sense and gives a good range of items to buy,...more
A good friend recommended this book to me and it's been an absolute lifesaver as my husband and I prepare for the arrival of our first baby. I've been carrying it in my purse so I can refer to it when we are out in stores. It's wonderfully organized and easy to use, with clear, practical, and helpful advice. I LOVE this book!!!
(These are the kinds of books I'm reading this summer...I would love a good novel, but more often than not, I find myself turning to baby books so I can read up on everyth...more
(These are the kinds of books I'm reading this summer...I would love a good novel, but more often than not, I find myself turning to baby books so I can read up on everyth...more
Thinking this is more like a 4.5. Definitely recommend this book to first-time parents who feel overwhelmed when they think about all the stuff they have to buy for baby. Even before I got pregnant, just thinking about all the stuff made me dizzy. Thank goodness for resources like this book. I love how user friendly it is...At first the 600 pages looked daunting, but the labeled tabs, index, and detailed table of contents (not to mention the generally organized way the book is overall) made it e...more
This book is badly in need of an editor!! While filled with useful information for which I'm grateful, it is rife with grammar errors and omitted words. At one point, the entire first half of a paragraph stops abruptly with no period, and repeats verbatim below. This is not a few subtle mistakes either. It happens every few pages and is very distracting. Sometimes I'm not quite sure what the authors are trying to say and have to make up missing words and guess where they were going with the thou...more
As a first time parent-to-be, I was completely lost in terms of what we needed to prepare for the baby. I don't have too many close friends who have kids, so I didn't have that many resources to seek out for advice. I was turned onto this book by a friend, and it has been our baby bible! It is so helpful in terms of detailing not only what you need, but how much you "need" to spend on each thing. For instance, I probably would have bought a $$$ crib thinking it was safer for the baby, not knowin...more
Upon finding out about the impending arrival of Little Buchs, one of my first thoughts was, "how do I avoid all of the STUFF that seems to quickly accumulate when there's a kid around?" Living in a city home with limited space and storage, this is a huge concern for me! Luckily my doctor has a similar mindset and recommended this great book to me. Baby Bargains outlines what baby gear is necessary and what is a total waste of money while providing thorough and thoughtful reviews to help you navi...more
Obviously this book has a fairly limited audience: people who are about to buy a whole bunch of baby stuff. So I'm not really recommending it widely, but for its intended audience, it's excellent. I love rating systems and reading user reviews since I'm a fairly picky shopper (read: cheap). This is a whole book of ratings and reviews, but it's more than that, too. As someone who really didn't know anything about baby gear-- what's necessary, what's extra-- this book was a great introduction to w...more
Without this shopping guide, I could not have overcome the overwhelming task of researching and preparing for my first baby. In fact, I regret that I hesitated to pick it up when it was first recommended to me. This book is much more than a bargain guide. It is the only comprehensive source of baby gear reviews and practical recommendations that I found, and the authors are not financially incentivized by manufacturers unlike many websites which receive advertising support. I have the 2008 editi...more
If you are looking to save money, I would HIGHLY recommend reading this. I got it at the library and am devouring the money saving tips and ideas. One thing I like about it is that it helps you narrow down what items are necessary or helpful and which ones are a waste of money. It gives you ideas of where to shop and rates tons of products. They focus on not just buying the cheapest thing, but on buying quality items that won't fall apart for the best price; after all, that is a true bargain!
i'd definitely recommend this book to new parents but with a rather large grain of salt. it's great to see reviews of things like car seats and cribs - things i knew nothing about before needing them, HOWEVER, the authors don't put much stock at all into some of the things i really care about, the main one being eco concerns. they state in a few different places in the book that there is no evidence to suggest that off-gassing substances found in certain plastics or fire retardants are harmful,...more
Given how much sh... I mean, stuff... there is out there to crowd and overwhelm a parent-to-be's brain, this book is a gem in that if you really don't feel like researching every single product, and just want to know the top stuff -- in the cheap and not-so-cheap categories -- you can get this information pretty quickly. I started out reading all the reviews until I went cross-eyed, then quickly began flipping to the end of each section to find out what parents liked best. On to my to-buy list i...more
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